


Ardent

by sciencefictioness



Series: Legacy [8]
Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, M/M, Mentions of Jesse/Hanzo, Polyamory, Side Story
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-29
Updated: 2018-08-29
Packaged: 2019-07-04 08:14:16
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,747
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15837321
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sciencefictioness/pseuds/sciencefictioness
Summary: A high, musical trill sounded out, part of some song Gabriel didn’t know.  Not any ringtone he recognized, either— Zenyatta’s calls and texts came through with sound of temple bells, Lucio’s with a heavy bass line, Angela’s with some kind of stringed instrument.  Gabriel wandered into the living room and glanced at the coffee table where Genji’s phone flashed, a number with no name attached to it scrolling across the display.“Genji, your phone,” Gabriel called, picking it up as it vibrated and chimed, “unknown caller.”“Answer it,” Genji replied, sounding entirely uninterested in talking to whoever was calling him.Gabriel swiped the screen and lifted it to his ear, taking a few absent steps towards the bedroom.“Genji’s answering service,” he said, leaning a shoulder against the doorframe separating the bedroom from the hallway.  Genji and Jack glanced over at him, still curled tightly together, Jack nosing through the damp green tangle of Genji’s hair.There was a beat of silence on the line, and someone let out a rough breath.“Gabriel?” Jesse asked, and Gabe closed his eyes, and let it wash over him.





	Ardent

**Author's Note:**

> This piece does not stand on its own, and should ideally be read immediately following chapter ten of Legacy. I'm not gonna lie, this bit is a little angsty. You may console yourselves with the knowledge that after Legacy is complete there will be a happily ever after for everyone involved. 
> 
> Until then, get wrecked, I guess.

It was as close as Gabriel got to feeling like all was right with the world.

 

Genji and Jack were laying down together.  Not sleeping, just tangled up lazily, kissing soft and mumbling low.  Genji was always especially cuddly after a punishment, even one he’d asked for himself, and Jack was happy to oblige him.

 

When Gabriel had gotten home from his run earlier, exhaustion wearing all the unease from his thoughts as it always did, he’d found Genji waiting for him.  Kneeling in the entryway, collared and red faced with come smeared over his cheek. Bruises forming on his hips, a hickey on his neck, utterly obscene.

 

Far too beautiful.  Smiling, looking up at Gabriel from underneath his lashes,  _ please let me suck you off, sir. _

 

Gabriel couldn’t say no.

 

He and Genji had showered off together afterwards, and now Gabriel was in the kitchen pulling out ingredients to start dinner for them, listening to Genji and Jack’s muffled voices drifting through the apartment.  Jack said something Gabe couldn’t make out and Genji laughed, a loud, bright noise that had Gabriel smiling. 

 

Close to perfection, two of the people he loved most tucked away in his bed, the apartment quiet and cool, Gabriel’s muscles aching pleasantly from his run.  Gabriel was content as he only ever was when Genji and Jack were both close. When they were happy, and sated, and in easy reach. Gabriel sorted through the spices in his cabinet, wondering how much cumin he could put in the chicken before Jack bitched about it when Genji's phone started ringing.

 

A high, musical trill, part of some song Gabriel didn’t know.  Not any ringtone he recognized, either— Zenyatta’s calls and texts came through with sound of temple bells, Lucio’s with a heavy bass line, Angela’s with some kind of stringed instrument.  Gabriel wandered into the living room and glanced at the coffee table where Genji’s phone flashed, a number with no name attached to it scrolling across the display.

 

“Genji, your phone,” Gabriel called, picking it up as it vibrated and chimed, “unknown caller.”

 

“Answer it,” Genji replied, sounding entirely uninterested in talking to whoever was calling him.

 

Gabriel swiped the screen and lifted it to his ear, taking a few absent steps towards the bedroom.

 

“Genji’s answering service,” he said, leaning a shoulder against the doorframe separating the bedroom from the hallway.  Genji and Jack glanced over at him, still curled tightly together, Jack nosing through the damp green tangle of Genji’s hair.

 

There was a beat of silence on the line, and someone let out a rough breath.

 

“Gabriel?” Jesse asked, and Gabe closed his eyes, and let it wash over him.

 

Held onto the sound for a moment longer than he should have, unwilling to take it for granted, the way Jesse’s voice rumbled over his name.

 

“Jesse,” Gabriel replied, and he could hear the blankets rustling as Genji and Jack sat up in unison, “hey.  Hi. Is uhh… is everything okay?”

 

Gabriel had to bite down on the litany of things that surged forward, on the tip of his tongue and ready to spill over.  

 

_ How are you, is there anything you need, anything I can do for you? _

 

_ Anything you’ll let me do? _

 

_ Anything. _

 

_ Jesse, please. _

 

The last time he’d let his mouth run unchecked at Jesse had been well over a year ago, and he’d been drunk, and clinging, and pathetic.  It hadn’t been pretty, and Gabriel wasn’t looking to relive that again anytime soon, but it was hard to rein it in with Jesse right there in his ear.  Listening, breathing soft, and Gabriel kept his eyes closed. Pictured him, and if it wasn’t exactly accurate, that was okay.

 

It had been years since he’d spent any significant amount of time with Jesse, and his mental image wasn’t exactly up to date.  A little young, not quite enough beard, hair shorter than it was nowadays. When he caught snatches of Jesse at the club he stared, trying to drink him in, to memorize the sight of him.

 

Moments in passing were all he got, and Gabriel kept them close, and tried not to let it ache too much.

 

“Uhh… everything’s… fine, mostly.  ‘m just trying to track Hanzo down,” Jesse said, and it was gentle, like he knew it would hurt Gabriel to hear it.  “Got Genji’s number from Angela, figured he might be able to help me out. Is he around? It’s fine if he ain’t, or if he’s busy, I ahh… I’m sorry to bother you, calling like this.”

 

Gabriel opened his eyes to find Genji standing close, brows furrowed with worry.  Jack watched from the foot of the bed, expression carefully neutral, hand running idly through his hair.  Gabriel took a breath, and let it out slow, until he felt empty inside.

 

“Don’t be sorry, Jesse.  You’re never a bother. You need something you tell me, okay?  I’ll do whatever I can to help. You call anytime you like.”

 

Jesse made a noise, and Gabriel felt it in his chest, the physical need to pull him close.  To press his face into Jesse, to soothe whatever was hurting him.

 

Except it was Gabriel hurting him, this time.  Hurting himself, and Gabriel closed his eyes again, and stepped forward until he ran into Genji.  Wrapped an arm around him and let his hand slide up to sink into Genji’s wet hair.

 

“Gabriel,” Jesse said, and trailed off.  Like he didn’t know what to say.

 

Like he didn’t know how to say it.

 

“It was good talking to you.  Here’s Genji,” he said voice gruff, and handed him the phone.  He pressed a kiss to Genji’s forehead and then turned and left the room.

 

He could hear Genji talking to Jesse even from the kitchen but did his best to tune it out, digging out a knife to cut vegetables, laying out pepper and onions on the cutting board.  Then he set it down, and held onto the edge of the counter with both hands, head hanging loose between his shoulders. Breathed in, and out.

 

Felt Jesse in his chest like a wound, and Gabriel swore.  It had been years, and he should have been over this, should have been able to let go.

 

Except he still loved Jesse just as much as he ever had, and time hadn’t dulled the feeling.

 

Sharpened it instead, and it cut into Gabriel now, and twisted.

 

A pair of arms slid around his waist;  Genji was still talking to Jesse in the other room, but even if he hadn’t been, Gabriel would recognize Jack’s touch anywhere.  The calloused feel of his hands sliding under Gabriel’s shirt, the scrape of Jack’s stubble on his neck, the press of his lips on Gabe’s jaw.

 

“You’re all right,” he said, and it wasn’t a question, but Gabriel nodded anyway.

 

He was all right.  Gabe had Jack, and he had Genji, and he had his life.  Things were good. Right with the world.

 

Almost perfect.

 

Not quite, but he could ignore that empty space yawning behind his ribs, the way his hands felt empty sometimes without Jesse under them.  The dreams he woke up from shaking, calling Jesse’s name, searching for him in bed.

 

All these years, but Jesse wasn’t there anymore.  

 

Gabriel was fine.

 

Jack hugged him tight, and then slipped away, giving him space.  Gabriel was grateful for it, needed room to breathe, but not everybody thought so.  There was the unmistakable sound of claws clicking over the tile, and then a sharp tugging sensation on his jeans, creeping up the back of his shirt.  A weight settled on his shoulder, and Gabriel reached up, sinking his fingers into the soft feathers of Midori’s frills without looking.

 

Midori shoved her face into Gabriel’s cheek, a purr thrumming low in her throat, and Gabriel scratched at her fondly.

 

“I’m okay,” he said, and it was a little more true this time, a little more honest.

 

Midori kneaded her claws into Gabriel’s shoulder, body curling around the back of his neck, tail dropping over his other arm.  Settling in for the long haul, and Gabriel sighed.

 

It wasn’t the first time he’d cooked dinner with a dragon draped around his neck, and it wouldn’t be the last.

 

If there were feathers in the food, well.  

 

That was Genji’s fault.

 

-

 

Gabriel was loading the dishwasher when his phone buzzed a few times in his pocket.  Usually when he got more than one text in a row it was from Genji, but he was sitting on the couch with Jack watching some god-awful reality show, so that was unlikely.  Gabe wiped his hands on a dishtowel and tugged out his phone, clicking on the unknown number with a frown. Gabriel’s eyes flitted over the messages, and he leaned against the counter, and sighed.

 

_ Genji gave me your number, I hope that’s okay _

 

_ if it isn’t just tell me _

 

_ This is probably something I should be doing in person, but I dunno how to talk to you anymore.   I know that’s my fault, and I’m sorry. I needed time. Took too much of it, maybe, and I know I hurt you, but we can’t go back fix all the places we fucked up back then.  We can’t be what we were, but it ain’t right, us be nothing at all to each other after everything we’ve been through. We can be something. You were my friend first, yeah? _

 

_ anyway, I’m here if you wanna talk sometime _

 

Gabriel’s heartbeat went erratic, nerves rolling in his stomach like they hadn’t in ages.  

 

Like he was about to duck out of cover to take a risky shot.

 

He pressed his phone to his forehead for a moment, and then pulled back to type out a reply.  Sent it before he could think better of it, because hesitation didn’t do anyone any favors.

 

_ I’m here, too.  I’d like that. _

 

There was a lot more to say, but Gabriel didn’t want to push too far, didn’t want to make Jesse regret reaching out to him.  He pocketed his phone and started the dishwasher, wiping down the counter one last time before heading back into the living room.  Genji had fallen asleep with his head pillowed on Jack’s thigh, mouth hanging open as he snored softly. Jack glanced up at him, and smiled, fingers petting through Genji’s hair, bare feet propped up on the coffee table.

 

Almost perfect.

 

Closer all the time.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Me, writing these notes, and erasing them several times: idk I wouldn't read this if I were you it's fucking sad bro


End file.
